Behind Enemy Lines
by Arianstar
Summary: Her life was fine and then he came back. She didn't believe in ghosts, she did believe in keeping her friends but then again when your back in Egon's world what do you expect to happen? Ghost however don't like when someone doesn't believe in them, they make it pretty clear they do exist.
1. Don't Poke an Angry Bear

**_Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange mind_**

A/N: New chapters up, more coming. Thanks for reading I appreciate it. :)_  
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**Chapter 1: Don't Poke An Angry Bear  
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She learnt a long time ago that knocking like that either pertained to two things in her life. She had upset someone by mistake, purpose or had totally been unprepared for the ideals of stupidity the person could accomplish. The second is that someone she knew did something idiotic and it would be her duty to go to their rescue. (Being nice the last thing they should assume when meeting her.)

She isn't a mean person; in fact she can often win over people just by getting the idea on how to manipulate them. She wouldn't deny that she was vindictive and scheming is her way to often pretend she's human. She had worked at the school for long enough to know that parents hated her, students either despised her or wanted to think she may give them a date. She had no expectations for anyone but herself and that in fact made her rather unpleasant.

"I hate mornings more than work." Glaring at her clock she took notice that whoever is doing the knocking is waking her up two hours too early for work. "I go in at ten!" she put her pillow over her head pretending she didn't hear the noise.

Looking at his watch he exchanged looks with his associate seeing him arch a brow disbelievingly that he would even know a woman that didn't move before seven in the morning. He tried a fourth time before his partner shrugged turning to leave.

"She's home," He said dryly before hitting the door harder aware that his associate didn't look convinced. "She hated mornings then and most likely still refuses to face the reality that the world moves with day instead of the night."

"Not for ghosts," retorted his still skeptical coworker. "Face it Egon…she isn't home or you are going to look like an idiot when some teenager comes to the door yelling at you before thinking you are a-"

He stopped watching Egon stop knocking long enough to hear several clicks and something that might resemble human speech but his associate wasn't sure of that. Looking up she sees a tall man with dark hair lift a long slender finger pushing glasses up his nose that doesn't quite fit his narrow face and raises a brow familiar with the strange curl at his brow. He smiles though it would look more like a grimace to anyone that _didn't_ know this character.

"Good morning," Egon tries seeing her green gaze narrow with agitation before seeing his associate look like he is contemplating an idea of smoothing over the clear disagreeable situation that looks to be about to happen.

"Firstly why is it _good_?" She managed brushing long thin fingers with black colored nails through wild dark hair that curls to her waist. "Secondly not that I'm not happy to see you Egon but do you think just maybe you could wait until at the least ten when I _have_ to get up?" She found her eyes going over the man cowering slightly at his side and briefly remembered some ridiculous commercial that had been on television often enough to amuse her.

"Nice to see you haven't changed much Dru." She shrugged crossing her arms over a t-shirt two sizes too large for her with Eeyore staring up at the rainy sky and plaid green pajama bottoms that had wears around the bottoms.

Egon looked down noting everything still was far too large for her small frame and yet she seemed too thin for her body too. It was surreal looking into her dark stare before he blinked realizing his coworker had been left to flounder in confusion.

"Drusilla Wren this is my associate, coworker and friend Ray Stantz." She forced a smile that told him she still is waiting for an explanation. "Can we talk inside Dru?"

The last time they had talked Egon had left from their long friendship which she had understood was more a commitment of a future than friends. She recalled a large pile of ignored letters buried someplace in a trunk before she finally caved a few years ago to actually write him. They were friends despite her clear assumption to loathing him; she still cared for his wellbeing and had kept track of all that had occurred with his new hobby and profession.

"About ghosts?" Egon saw Ray once again peer over her with a doubtful look. "Why on earth do you think I actually care?"

She eyed the man off to the side, short dark hair staring between them with a sort of twitch about him. He had a finger delicately placed against his neck trying to act casually despite the wide dark eyes staring between them. She realized being a wrathful bitch wasn't the best of impressions to make on someone that knew Egon, especially if it had been as long as she had been once again keeping track of him. Groaning at the idea she was letting her lack of judgment make decisions over Egon Spengler once again she moved aside holding the sickly greenish gray door aside letting both men enter. (Ray looked worried at the way things were going.)

Silently she took in her small living room overflowing with books, magazines and texts abiding to her lectures she would have that afternoon in her classroom. She pushed aside a pile of graded papers across a small olive colored coffee table before offering them seats on the crème colored two seat couch across from the lounge chair that matched. She saw Egon taking in the room with curiosity before glancing down at her work and then making a note to scan the grade book which she promptly slammed shut.

He smiled that haughty way that once made her happy before she rolled her eyes and waited once again for the reason she was in fact unwise enough to allow him to enter into her home and life again. Taking this opportunity to avoid the strange tension the pair shared, Ray chose to quietly sit on the couch and study Egon who had yet to take his seat.

"It isn't exactly my expertise Dru; I thought we could use your help in some of our more delicate cases." Egon glanced once again down at the papers before seeing most of her books hadn't been touched in an age or two. "Teaching is beneath you by the way."

"Chasing ghosts as I recall wasn't part of your paranormal psychological research." She retorted finding Ray once again seemingly frightened by their lack of tact and clear frustration with each other. "Honestly why are you here Egon?"

Ray under the impression that offering his own explanation on the matter wouldn't favor him chose to keep quiet studying the idea of Egon actually at odds with someone. Not just finding his dry cynicism directed toward boredom but really using his skills on someone clearly on his level. He wondered why Egon had chosen to bring him on this social call instead of Winston who would have been one to at the very least reason with them or even Peter who would have mostly likely gotten clubbed for flirting with her. Egon had a past with Drusilla Wren and it looked like she had yet to let go.

Egon lowered to the couch but didn't relax; he was taut verging on seeming like someone cornered. An example in Ray's ideal would be a lion fighting for dominance over a pack of hyenas, but Ray couldn't determine which predator was which in the sense of his friend and a obstinate woman in the room.

"Parapsychology," Egon corrected once again offering that all knowing look he often directed on someone that had bored him. "The study of which we test the abilities of-"

"By studying those claiming to have supernatural powers or the latter being of which you sit in a lab with cards testing to see if they read minds. I also remember that again that did _not_ involve ghosts, lawsuits or trashing New York." Here Egon paused in his retort his brow furrowing in interest as well as astonishment. "Why are you here?"

Egon taken back by the idea she had kept up with the events that had surrounded his life and the Ghostbusters to begin with made him backtrack a bit. Drusilla still cared enough for his wellbeing whether he walked out on her the way he had or not. She clearly despite being in a job she didn't much care for remained in contact with him even after he had to wait a few years for that glimmer of hope.

He knew her well enough to gather it would take her time to get over the sting that _he_ put a halt to the friendship which he had uncomfortably concluded meant more to her than him at the time. It hadn't ended badly but it hadn't ended nice. She had taken his lack of tact and normal functions around people to mean he didn't like the aspect of people. He actually didn't deal well with people so much as chose to analyze people. It worked better in a lab setting than outside of work or school; she on the other hand didn't seem to mind it and kept lurking around in the pretense of being a friend.

During a difficult class with her lack of mathematical skills he had teased her mercilessly and she had countered with _'_ show me' as her excuse to his dry tone with her inability to solve a simple physics problem. It wasn't simple for her but he had found ways to deal with it and over time they began to act human outside of classes and she had been the one dragging him to social engagements that often got him threats from someone larger than him or dismissal for talking over their heads.

"Never mind," She dismissed Egon seeing her keeping tabs on him had spooked him into silence. "Mr. Stantz…er…Ray?" He uncertainly looked between them before nodding confirmation. "Why did he drag you from your headquarters all the way to a small campus outside of the city just to speak with me?"

"He wanted someone that specialized in historical aspects of the area and hopefully someone that could-"

"I wanted someone that is delicate when it comes to historical findings and science. Someone that tends to let emotion drive them more than the latter of the two specialties you have." She blinked turning to see Egon eyeing her over his glasses no sign of a smile or indication he was kidding anywhere in those dark telltale eyes.

She crossed her arms realizing that Egon's tact and methods most likely was as effective as the others he worked with. She had a list of things outside of her degrees she had earned. She had been one to try a little of everything when she started school and being around Egon had put her love of history and science ahead of the rest. She finally stood walking slowly to the door and opened it. Egon got the message the minute she left her seat but Ray seemed unsure of the silent conversation the pair clearly were having.

Egon's eyes narrowed giving her a forced smile _"Get the hell out of here and don't come back!"_ was the message her expression and body language was giving him and he knew better than to argue with it.

Egon moved silently past her before leaving Ray behind his not so subtle anger relevant before he disappeared around the corner down the pale tan halls of her apartment complex. Hearing a door slam somewhere off she looked down at the olive tones in the carpet at her feet before being aware of Ray moving past her reluctant to get any sort of attention from her but knowing there was a lot to this story than he had originally known.

Before she shut the door he took a chance she wouldn't hit him just because he let them be during the visit and turned holding out a small card toward her. Drusilla found herself eyeing the simple white paper with a sort of sinking feeling watching him hesitate refusing to draw back. Looking up she saw a pathetic sort of half smile to his face before regarding Ray and wondering what method there was to her choosing to be someone that loved to punish themselves. Reaching out she snatched the card without a word and went to close her door.

"I don't know what happened but at least you got his attention, that's remarkable." Ray waved before rushing down the hall and leaving quickly out of her sight.

Drusilla yawned before slamming her apartment door and glanced down at the card. She turned it around so she could read the black lettering on it with a strange logo in the corner.

'Ghostbusters Inc. Dr. Raymond Stantz, Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Peter Venkmin and Winston Zeddemore.' She looked it over seeing the number to call the office and the address written under the names of the men who ran the ghost chase within New York. She tossed the card on the coffee table on her way heading back to bed.

She would process this later; she needed to get ready for work.

e.


	2. Tension Wars

**_Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange mind_**

A/N: New chapters up, more coming. Thanks for reading I appreciate it. :)_  
_

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**Chapter 2:Tension Wars  
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A week later she found herself in front of an empty classroom staring at a full whiteboard and rows of seats that had been vacated an hour ago. She had spent the whole week lost in thought over the insanity that Egon expected her to drop her life and come work for some group of nuts that were after ghosts and had chosen to get in more law trouble than half her friends back when they were delinquents. Steadying her gaze on the exam papers off to her left she stacked them neatly before tucking them inside a black leather case that had seen better days. She buckled the straps before lifting the strap over her shoulder and starting down the short three steps to the path that led to the double brown doors ahead.

Another week went by with her once again walking out of her class with a stack of papers and pausing at the doors to her classroom. She had been doing this so long it came natural to know how to get back and forth through her day like a zombie. She had come to a point where she forgot how she got places and couldn't forget the way she had sent Egon off without giving him any sign of a chance of redemption.

"He doesn't deserve it." She said under her breath before groaning leaning her head against the cool wood doors trying to argue herself into going about her routine before doing something unintelligent that she couldn't take back.

Three days later she had put in for a leave of absences that meant she would take some time off for herself. Instead of talking herself into a nice sunny vacation date in some tropical place or warm state she had gone the few miles to New York City and had found herself stepping out of a cab in front of an old abandoned firehouse.

Looking up the brown building looked worn down but she could tell it was in use. There was no sign indicating any sort of side entrances or way inside so she opted for the front door that led into the garage of the building. She paused looking up at the sign that showed their logo of a ghost caught in a sign that indicated no on most smoking signs. Shaking her head she moved with a steady click of her shoes across a sidewalk that had plenty of cracks among it and pushed on the rough wood door to enter the building.

With care she stepped over the hole that cut through the large doors of the garage and shut the door behind her. She kept her satchel close walking across a cement floor heading for what appeared to be an office past an old ambulance that had been remodeled she assumed to suit the needs of those that worked in the Ghostbuster's headquarters.

She halted mid-step seeing no sign of anyone at the desk and could see a plaque that indicated there should be some sort of secretary or assistant sitting among the large brown desk full of papers and a phone off to the right. Tilting her head she waited hoping someone would come and then heard a high nasally sort of voice come from beside her.

"Can I help you?" She looked over the woman with short red hair and glasses that were too triangular for her face. She wore a very bright colored green sweater with a black skirt and matching green tights.

"I'm looking for Egon." Remarked Drusilla unsure of how to take the woman moving around the desk and sitting down with coffee in her hand and long red nails that clicked on the desk unsure of how to take her presence. "Dr. Stantz left the card." She added showing the small cardboard that had been folded several times over before she finally caved in.

"You will have to make an appointment unless this is an emergency; if that is the case you should have called." The woman forced a smile which Drusilla knew to be sarcasm and found herself amused that the assistant seemed threatened by her appearance.

"Just tell him Dru is downstairs." She retorted silkily before crossing her arms and glancing around the building noting it lacked in color being mostly gray and tan.

Her eyes moved to the poles in the middle of the firehouse before she smiled already guessing that at the very least some of Egon's friends weren't half as serious as he was. She chose to ignore the look the woman gave her over her glasses before she seemed unpleased by her refusal to leave and reached for a call box off to the side of her desk.

"Guys we have a woman asking for Spengler." She called dryly seeing that Drusilla clearly wasn't leaving without making her day unpleasant.

Egon busy in the basement lab had been perfecting some new machines to detect ghosts and any sort of psychic changes within ectoplasm since their river of slime incident. Ray had been working upstairs most of the day and hearing Jeanine's unpleasant tone told him his plan had most likely worked. Despite being in a relationship with their lawyer friend she had once liked Egon and had a bit of a protective side when it came to women asking for him without asking for one of the others first. Smiling he put aside his tools and pulled of the light with magnifying glass from his head seeing Peter perk up at the announcement.

"I should go meet this woman." Peter remarked smoothing back his dark hair and starting to the pole to slide to the ground floor.

"I don't think she would go for you Pete." Ray smirked walking past their traumatized looking friend before reaching out and sliding down the pole.

Offended by the idea that he couldn't charm this woman Peter naturally had to find out 'who' she was and why she wouldn't like him. Following Ray he landed just behind him and glanced around seeing him light a cigarette before moving into the room. The first thing that Peter noticed was this woman wasn't the type that seemed to have known Egon at all.

She wasn't overly tall but close enough to make eye contact with most of them. Her hair flowed down her waist in a curly wave held back by a blue bandana. She wore a pair of black jeans and a knee length shirt with an array of blues mixed in a tie-dye fashion that had only one sleeve and a pair of silver dangling earrings that caught the light when she turned to regard Ray with familiarity.

She smiled moving across the cement floor hearing her heeled boots echoing at each step before she held out her hand. Seeing Peter eye her in confusion Ray shrugged introducing Dr. Peter Venkmen to Egon's past with a sort of flare for knowing something that usually Peter would have already figured out.

"Nice to meet you," She looked at both of them seeing they each wore brown suits with the log on them and looked to have just came back to their offices not long ago. "Ray…where's Egon since it was in fact his idea to bring me here to start with?" He found himself directing her attention to a door that read 'basement' with a list of precautionary notes on both side and a warning sign on the bottom part of the word basement.

"I don't think you want to go down there right now. I'm not sure if he's working with anything that's safe without a suit or something. Some of the containment units involve radioactive materials and may require-"

"I can wait." She sighed gathering that Ray had found their original encounter unnerving just by his reluctance to get Egon.

Peter lifted a brow finding her body language meant she is in fact angry with Egon which he would assume was natural, but he never knew Egon to actually interact with people of her type. He had always thought the tech master of their crew avoided social activities and women in general. He found the idea of a past with them not so much interesting as it turned his opinions upside down. It meant that Egon could act with the opposite sex on a social level that was beyond him. Frowning he rubbed the side of his cheek finding this idea unrealistic to his view and put it aside.

"You _know_ Egon?" Ray chose to go get Egon instead of watching Peter make a fool of himself; however that too could be fun.

"Yes, we've been good friends for a long time. College years before he joined you at the university if I guess correctly." She stifled laughter seeing that Peter was trying to wrap his mind around the idea of Egon having a female at all in his life. "It's a strange story and I am not saying a word." She lifted her bag up her arm before turning hearing noise from the basement door.

It is muffled but she's fairly sure her presence at the Ghostbuster's firehouse wasn't the news Egon wished to hear after their last encounter.

Egon had spent odd hours in the basement in between jobs and had been more frustrated than usual with lack of production on some of his inventions. That day he had spent two hours failing and had spent three chasing Slimer around the basement for interference and becoming a remarkable irritant. Usually he didn't mind the ghost that had opted to adopt them, it more often amused him to see Slimer upset Peter or provide assistance in solving ghost problems when they could convince him to do so.

"Egon?" He squinted through the magnification helmet staring at another device to read psychic energies from ectoplasm before flinching at the call.

Interrupted from his work he saw Slimer float off to greet his associate. In a matter of a few minutes Ray came around the corner standing across from the large red echo-containment unit behind them and looked at Egon's serious expression.

"I'm working at the moment Ray; your input would be helpful." He added glancing over the notes at his side and looking back seeing his friend was distracted by the wood stairs leading up to the main floor of the former firehouse.

Ray finished the cigarette in hand before moving over to the area of work tables set up and finding an ashtray. "You're needed upstairs." He put it out before brushing his hands together seeing Slimer had disappeared from view. "Drusilla's waiting on you."

Silence greeted his comment before Egon looked mildly amused before seeing Ray wasn't joking around. Slowly he pulled the gear off his head and set it aside, calmly his eyes leveled on his associate glaring over his glasses.

"What!" he nearly shouted finding himself startled by his own vehemence and recovering. "What do you mean Dru's here?"

Ray now understood that whatever happened wasn't a good thing and now wondered if he had been wise leaving his card behind. Drusilla could have found them later on even if he hadn't, he had a feeling that her help would be helpful in the long run and had always trusted Egon's reasoning and methods.

"She knows you are as well now." Ray pointed upstairs seeing Egon move fingers to the bridge of his nose and massage his eyes under the edge of his glasses before adjusting them back into place. "What do you want to do?"

"Tell her to go home." Egon turned with a clipboard in hand and read over several level readings and timers behind him being sure the containment unit was in order.

Ray waited seeing Egon casually scanning each lever and diagram before he sighed putting the clipboard on the steel table and meeting the curious look studying him. He told no one he had a life outside of his work; he had worked in labs, analysis and universities since she had gotten close to him on a level that didn't fit his own idea of his psyche. Smart, pretty and socially active had never been his protocol and then she had no clue how to do homework in a physics class gaining his attention.

"Egon?" He shrugged going to return to his work instead of going upstairs. "She might come down here." He warned watching Egon put aside his notes and looks upward as if he could see through the floor.

"Fine."

She listened hearing silence before seeing Peter glance at the door astonished Egon could raise his voice unless they were in danger. In fact he had always seen the man as distant, sarcastic and definitely non-reactive to the opposite sex. The idea that this woman pushed his buttons intrigued Peter.

"Peter, Dana left a message that she's working late and that you have to pick Oscar up from school." She saw Peter's attention move quickly to the watch strapped to his wrist before his eyes widened and he moved to the exit. "Jacket!" she called seeing him rush back in and snatch a brown trench coat before booking out the door. "You're still suited up." She muttered returning to her desk aware that he would notice only after he got to the school.

It is Drusilla's turn to view Peter Venkman differently now, she had assumed he was one of those overgrown children that tried to tame every woman he met. Hearing he had to pick someone up from school put that idea aside before she heard the opening of a door and turned back to the basement. Ray exited looking mildly sheepish before she heard muttering seeing Egon purposely turn to shut the basement door with more force than needed and then he turned his eyes narrowed on her with loathing and indication he was trying to control his show of emotion.

He wasn't an emotional person and for some reason she had always found ways of bringing that side out. Janine sensing hostility which was _new_ for Egon leafed through some folders on her desk before standing and moving off toward the back of the building. She hated filing things but in this case seeing what she did, it seemed something that would be deemed much safer than the current thing going on between Egon and the girl that had come to the office that day.

Ray detecting the familiarity of tension coming off of his friend and Drusilla tried to sneak off to the stairs that led back to his own table of projects. Egon already wise to his idea of sneaking off reached over catching Ray's arm on his retreat and gave him a look that indicated it was in his benefit to remain present.

"So is it my turn to say can we talk or are you just going to blow off steam?" Egon resisted the urge to grit his teeth forcing an arrogant sort of smile to his lips; she knew better and could see the relative influence of the hidden lack of control showing. "I took some time off from work and my life to help Egon. I know the past isn't pleasant and it took more effort than you wish to show to come ask for my help. For some reason lack of sense brought me here. So what help do you need?" She ignored her shortened speech looking down seeing a strange green misty looking blob coming up from the floor in front of her.

Her eyes widened when the large green blob took on a circular form with arms, yellow eyes and a too large smile for its face. Its tongue stuck out in an odd sort of smile before she tilts her head uncertain of how to take the thing in front of her. Normal people would run screaming, some would have just stood there yelling like an idiot. Drusilla being neither of those things peered through the green blob noting Ray look worried by her controlled reaction and Egon looked entertained for the first time in a while.

Slimer put off by a lack of reaction made a strange grouping of noises she assumed was his way of verbal communication before seeing it appeared that her reaction being void had upset the green blob of slime. Realizing Egon had been working in the basement with this creature two things registered. He had most likely directed the thing to approach her and that it had something to do with his 'ghost' research. Uncertain by the presence of the small thing she reached out a slender finger gently poking what she assumed may have been relative to poking his stomach.

Slimer made a loud squeak noise of protest before his eyes narrowed looking her over offended by the lack of fear that Egon had said may be the most likely reaction. She smiled softly seeing the small blob find this interesting enough to mirror the look before she saw it circle her in a slow floating movement and hesitate once again in front of her.

"I think that you didn't get what you wanted out of me, so what are you little critter?" Slimer finding her amused tone different than what he was used to turned looking at the two men in the room with uncertainty before Egon made a waving motion with his hand indicating Slimer was dismissed.

"Slimer, he's a ghost we inherited that doesn't want to _leave_. He helps in research when and if we have enough food to bribe him." Ray answered the question watching Slimer disappear above most likely to find that, food.

"Ah, so you aren't crazy." Drusilla said seeing Egon seeing the familiar sign of her scheme's to get answers and turning to Ray.

"Go ahead and keep Slimer out of whatever he shouldn't be in." Egon seeing Ray looked relieved by his dismissal looked up before heading up the stairs.

Silence fell on the pair standing off in their own methods. Both stubborn in their own way and each sure that the other would give answers for whatever questions may have been reflected in each other's expression or body language. She shifted on her feet moving further into the room once again looking around taking in the large building before settling on the edge of Janine's desk seeing Egon's refusal to move any closer and finding herself somewhat hurt by the distance despite their past.

Drusilla still had feelings she had pretended to repress over the misfit scientist that preferred analytical research, papers, method and the ideals of how environments were affected by emotional incidences opposed to dealing with people. She had learned to guide herself around his quirks that often sent people running away from him or wishing to strangle him. It took time to understand the method that was Egon, she found herself surprised that some men had and apparently learned to befriend him despite all the information contrary to the method of Egon Spengler and his lack of personality.

She knew her dislike from how their friendship had ended still caused her some bitter influence in dealing with him. She could also tell it created equal reactions in him which meant he may have understood her resentment for being left behind. She tapped her fingers lightly on the desk lowering her gaze to the dark wood color before hearing him make a noise indicating he wanted attention. Smiling she slowly looked up seeing a mix of frustration and understanding in his expression. She at least had his attention and respect, which was more than she could say for him in her personal opinion.

"History? I thought you preferred scientific theory?" Crossing her arms she gave him a look that stated 'you make your point yet' and that's when he moved slowly across the room pausing on the opposite side of her and the desk. "What happened Dru?"

She rolled her eyes knowing where this was going. "I chose to teach history opposed to being reminded of the one thing that had caused me grief in life. _You_." She had been called in for scientific research in other places, even to teach in colleges and programs. "I figured if I taught my second choice…it would less likely mean running into you during a lab assignment or study." With that she crossed her arms seeing his gaze had focused on her satchel instead of her.

He had seen that a long time ago, she had it all through school and during all their research terms before he had chosen to get out of her life. It had been her anchor through most of her work and she always had it organized enough to know where things were. Study groups, research papers and her life always at her side. Egon could see things hadn't changed much over the years and found himself looking up seeing her giving him a forced smile indicating he should pay attention to present instead of past.

"I'm working on how emotions affect the environmental study of ectoplasm, environment and the slime we found below the city. I haven't been able to perfect the emotion equality within one of the inventions and Ray and I have basically come to resorting to even worse methods than we started with. Slimer doesn't seem to react equally to those around him either; I think he's getting used to us and us vice versa." She didn't look convinced by his lecture or the idea he had come to the end of his research without trying methods even if they were dumb.

"How am I supposed to help?" she questioned meeting his look that was narrowed in a fashion indicating thought and sarcasm.

"You're emotional; it may help further our research. Slimer reacted inquisitively instead of by his instincts of trying other scaring methods-"

"Which you ordered him to do," She accused her finger pointing against his chest. "You wanted him to scare me and you wanted to use my reaction to your scientific study. I'm not an experiment Egon!" he flinched finding her nail pressing into his chest mildly uncomfortable.

Drusilla should have known that his influence with his colleagues would mean that it was easy for him to maneuver them into his methods of testing theory. That must have been why he had chosen Ray because he seemed more likely to look past his lack of social skills. Ray had clearly been a scientist as well as Venkman but on the side note they at the very least appeared more humanized than the one she had known the longest.

Finding Drusilla meant he knew an emotional person that could further their research into the study of environmental changes of ghosts, hauntings and the slime they still chose to experiment one. It meant he could understand the aspect of Slimer more clearly by how he reacted around an outside influence that wasn't as childish like Peter. He had grown to think that because of being around the Ghostbusters for so long the ghost had forgotten his original purpose of being a research tool.

Egon backed away worried that she would do more than poke at him. "I didn't say you were a test or any of the other words you would choose to use. I just am curious to how Slimer and you would interact on a first meeting since you insist that ghosts aren't real and I've lost my sanity." She cringed knowing that it was meant to hurt, she didn't believe him and he had distanced her.

All fair in this emotional war and she had voluntarily walked right into the worst part of the warzone. They were interrupted by a young boy about five rushing into the room and ducking around behind Egon. She saw him look down at the toe headed youth before glancing upward in defeat and smiling, though this was a true one and not forced. Arching a brow in confusion she wondered if she had mistaken the events of Egon coming into her life and that this kid was him moving on unlike herself which she had not.

"Oscar!" She turned sharply seeing Peter had returned carting his jumpsuit instead of the jacket which he had on. "This is no time for games; your mom will kill me when she reads this note." Defeated he dropped the suit aside dusting off his black slacks and noting the two in the room with the little boy.

Egon staring down looking at Oscar who had chosen to peek around the side of his leg and then Drusilla looking down at the newly entered person in bewilderment, groaning Peter tossed his jacket aside and walked over approaching Egon for help.

"Hi." The small boy piped up shyly seeing Drusilla looking down at him in confusion. "I'm Oscar," he stated slowly moving from behind Egon and holding up a small hand in greeting to Drusilla.

"Hello Oscar, I'm Drusilla." She smiled softly though her expression betrayed her thoughts to Egon whose eyes widened getting where her mind had gone upon the arrival of the small boy using him as a shield.

"Peter," Egon managed his smile faded indicating annoyance at his associate. "Will you please take Oscar to your office to deal with your family matters?" He looked at Egon sourly before seeing Oscar's blue gaze move over Egon uncertain of the new tone of voice before he walked slowly over to Peter almost as if pouting.

"She is going to blame me for teaching him how to get into trouble." Peter moaned watching Egon roll his eyes in a manner that meant he wasn't interested. "Fine, I'll blame you because I was late trying to figure out your guest." He walked off with Oscar rushing after him talking about his day at school and how his mommy would be proud of him, which causes Peter to flinch knowing otherwise.

Recovering slowly by the interruption of Oscar and Peter's family life Egon saw that Drusilla was about to question Oscar's affection toward him. He wanted to disappear back into his lab where life made sense, he would rather deal with analysis and assistance from Slimer than deal with the emotional wreck he had led back into his life.

"Peter's step-son…he's Dana's little boy from a previous marriage. Peter loves talking ask him the adventure and chaos it caused to the city." He smirked seeing her scan him for signs of a lie and found none, shaking her head she shouldn't have cared and tried to convince herself she hadn't cared.

"I'm going to be staying at the hotel you blasted up. You know how to find me Egon." She gathered her satchel to leave and found herself stopped by the appearance of a certain green ghost. "Slimer," She smiled seeing the puzzled spook glance over her shoulder before directing his confusion at the girl talking to him and treating him nicely. "Don't listen to him." She whispered moving around the ghost and leaving Egon glowering at her back.


	3. Miss Popular

**_Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange mind_**

A/N: New chapters up, more coming. Thanks for reading I appreciate it. :)_  
_

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**Chapter 3: Miss Popular  
**

He refused to be influenced into falling into her methods of manipulation again. It had always been a game and when neither had won, he had been the one choosing to leave and he hadn't intended to ever look back. Over time as much as Egon hated to admit to it, he had been an idiot and now he found the idea of control out of his hands to be alarming at the worst and frustrating at the best.

He had listened to Peter explain to Dana that it wasn't his fault Oscar had been acting like he had never left his terrible two's and she had countered with a knowing way that made Peter sink further in his seat before he looked out his office door a pathetic sort of pleading in his dark gaze. Egon didn't feel the need for pity and shrugged retreating back to his work in the basement.

He had been fooling himself when he came to realize he wasn't getting anything done. Slimer had remained there lurking around him the rest of the day almost with a look that indicated he knew what was bothering Egon. He chose to diligently ignore the ghost and favor his methodical research that still came to ends he didn't like. How could he convince her to help without giving her the idea he wanted something from their past back in his life. (Denial was ugly on him and he knew it.)

Staring at her phone did little good once she got to her room. She knew Egon better than he did, he wouldn't be the one to call and ask for help. She would stupidly go back down to that firehouse known as the Ghostbuster's headquarters and help despite his denial and lack of self-control. She put the crumpled card on the nightstand near the bed draped in off brown and gold colors before she flopped backwards glancing up into the blackness of the canopy above her.

This hotel had only been the small one his group had taken out during their cases of ghosts. The original one from when they started had refused to let her in a room after seeing the folded up card put aside to reach for her checkbook. This one she had purposely put the card in her satchel and found the cheapest room possible to dwell in convincing herself it would be for one night and she would leave if what happened had happened.

Cursing she sat up hearing a creaking noise and looked around the small room seeing no sign of any of the cleaning staff. The tan carpet sank under her feet when she stood to go examine the small bathroom, it was clear before she looked around checking the closet off to her right and then leaned in the doorway of the bathroom trying to determine what was off.

It looked normal, shrugging she walked back once again flopping across her bed and looked up into the darkness of the canopy once again. Blinking she found herself tilting her head trying to figure out what seemed different, when the shadow seemed to move she rubbed her eyes trying to logically explain away what she was seeing.

Slowly she wiggled across her bed and reached for the phone putting it beside her on the bed and watched the odd shadow move back and forth before seeing green eyes narrow on her and a mouth full of teeth. She didn't have to identify it knowing it was weird enough that police wouldn't do any good.

Hearing the phone ring Janine answered. "Ghostbusters how may I help you?" she rose a brow when she was directed to summon Egon from his hole downstairs. "Is this an emergency?" the answer on the other end had her on her feet walking quickly to the door and pressing a com button near the basement door. "Phone Egon, Emergency and that's all I get."

He flinched at the call from above wishing he had never put the com upstairs. He stopped what he was doing aware that Janine never used it or the others, the lack of an alarm meant this was different than all the other cases which made him stop his work curiosity getting the best of him.

Running up the stairs he saw Janine point to the phone and moved quickly to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Get your ass here now Egon Spengler!" shouted an all too memorable voice before he heard a scream and the click of the phone call ending.

Blinking at the phone he looked at Janine and then directed her to announce the emergency before bolting to the ecto mobile.

She ducked wisely out of her bed and avoided the attacking figure before finding her path to her door blocked. Alright it was a ghost the worst thing that could happen was being slimed, however she wasn't sure of that and knew very little about Egon's work. She may have read up on some things but it didn't mean she was an expert and the idea a ghost was at a place they had already cleared meant she wasn't in a good mood. She had probably dragged it back with her because Egon had tried a new method of getting her attention.

Thinking on that Drusilla found no logic in her methodical thinking. Egon regardless of any personal issues they shared wasn't by definition cruel in the sense this ghost implied. He granted wasn't an angelic force in her life but he wouldn't be this mean just to spite her. Slowly she moved backward seeing the spook mirror her except for it moved closer to her only exit. She made a mental note to never take a top floor room again; she didn't think gravity would be against her so much as a splat to the sidewalk wouldn't favor her life either.

She wanted to make Egon miserable like he had her, but she didn't wish to be a ghost doing it. Reaching for her purse she saw the shape take on a more definite form of strange tentacles before she jerked out of the way of the appendages. She pulled the small wallet closer to her chest and noticed the ghost follow her once again. Grabbing her satchel she charged toward the bathroom yelping when a few of those tentacles laced in front of the door in a webbing fashion.

She didn't feel the need to test if the ghost could hold her and chose to back away from her door. The phone made her jump before she gave it a longing look and then ducked a flying phone that nearly took her head off with it. Lowering her gaze to the mangled phone she saw that the line was still attached by the actually speaking piece had been smashed to pieces.

_"I'm going to end up either a ghost or ectoplasm food."_ The context of the idea being absurd because she had never heard of a case where the ghost _ate_ the people in Egon's journals, she once again moved across the room.

This time she chose the difficult task of running across the bed and slammed hard into the wall upon her not so graceful landing against the wall. Swearing she held her arm sure she did something stupid and coward in the corner seeing the figures tentacles begin to move toward her.

Winston, Ray and Peter held on for life aware that Egon being the one out of control and driving like a lunatic had never been part of their work. Ghostbusting aside he was usually the calm and collected one in most cases. Swerving sharply they hit each other in the back and Ray observed his cigarette fly out the window due to the air flying past the vehicle.

"Egon is it wise to rush into this?" Peter looked up seeing Egon glance in the rearview mirror before cutting another sharp curve forcing him and Winston to smack each other.

"It would be good to brace." Winston remarked seeing the hotel from the address given ahead and smiling humorlessly.

"Brace?"

Ray's question being answered with him snapping his arms out to brace against Egon's attack on the breaks forcing the three of them to jerk violently in their seats, they turned seeing Egon out of the ectomobile and already in the back getting ready to suit up. None of them brought up his lack of driving skills or the idea they had nearly become part of the vehicle. Instead they got around to putting on their proton packs and were already inside. Peter heading of the management who knew them _too_ well from the last time, in fact he seemed fairly certain the screams upstairs had been from a television being too loud because it had been silent for a bit.

Egon looking up the stairs looked down at the registry ignoring the manager's protests about privacy and moved quickly to the upper level. Ray at his heels the other two went the opposite way taking the elevator which had just came down.

_"I'm an idiot, she is right to be angry and this is all my fault."_

Ignorance would have been better than Drusilla being attacked by ghosts, possessed or even worse. His life had become dangerous, none of them hit it from their potential love interests and Peter had been happily married to a woman he had saved twice. Why wasn't it that easy for him?

Stopping in his tracks he saw Winston and Peter exit the elevator down the hall from her room. He moved quickly pounding on the door and waited. Silence stretched for the longest time before Ray gave the signal and they kicked the door open.

Drusilla blinked hearing the door bust from across the room and noted the strange tentacles retract at the invasion into her room. Glancing up from behind her bed she saw lights coming from what she figured was the way to catch a ghost and was relieved for once to see Egon leading the attack. She watched on in interest before ducking watching the very man that came to her rescue come flying into the wall beside her and noted the other Ghostbusters scatter trying to contain the ghost, she heard Ray muttering profoundly under his breath before seeing the others move out into the hall after the ghost.

"Unbelievable," Egon grumbled before getting to his feet and moving around the bed. "Dru stay put." He left before she could argue that point with the context she didn't need to do what he told her to do.

Although the idea of staying put sounded far better than going to watch them get smashed up like her room had been or facing those frightening tentacles all over again. She chose to crawl around her bed and remain there glancing out her busted door and saw an interesting assortment of lights, smelled smoke and something else that wasn't pleasant by any means. (Perhaps charred ghost?)

Hearing them raise their voices before someone called out the word 'trap' she hesitated climbing slowly to her feet and steadied herself by her bed. Holding onto the footboard she waited seeing no more lights and heard nothing overly loud. It sounded like they had it under control and soon she noticed Ray appear in the doorway holding a small black box with a cord. He told her that they had the ghost trapped and that they were taking it back to headquarters.

She nodded uncertain of how to take the other two walking past him, the African American taking the trap while making an awful face. Peter glanced around curiously before ducking out of the room and moving quickly to catch up with Winston.

She saw Ray step out into the hall and listened to Egon talk slowly but she couldn't make out what he was saying. It wasn't long before Ray returned and waved before clearly leaving to go with the others. After a few minutes she looked up seeing Egon casually look around the room before seeing her standing there looking confused, scared and unnerved.

Her clothing was out of whack but mostly her hair had been thrown about. It reminded him of a day she dragged him out of class for a holiday in the woods. They had gone walking and it hadn't been long before he found her lazing in a tree and poking fun at his lack of climbing skills. Drusilla looked ruffled but the image ended there, she wasn't scared, she was terrified and had no idea what had just occurred moments ago.

"Dru are you alright?"

"Yep," She relaxed her hold on the bed moving carefully into her destroyed room and looking around at the damage that had transpired. "I'm good, the room isn't." it hit her then that she wasn't going to be staying in the hotel and would have to choose to leave back to her old life.

"Liar," Egon remarked pushing his glasses up seeing her look at him. "Knowing us you won't find a place to stay in New York…come down to the firehouse." She paused picking her satchel up surprised by the tone, he sounded like he _wanted_ her around. "You can stay there for now." He added glancing around the room and flinching when part of the door crashed to the floor.

He knew they would be in for another rough ride over this mess, Louis dealt with them on a daily basis, it meant just more paperwork for him and the city. Reaching for her jacket she circled in place before looking over the large pack on Egon's back and wondering how something so small could hold so much power and the damage that ensued with it.

For once Drusilla had no will to argue. She nodded walking carefully around the debris left behind by the ghost and the Ghostbusters before glancing around the dark colored green hall carpet and noting dark spots along the gray walls. It struck her that this would be a rough life for anyone; she found it remarkable that any of them had any sort of normalcy in their lives. Shaking her head she reached out touching a spot on the wall and found her eyes moving down the hall to the stairs.

She is safe for now; she knew this because despite any drama that she shared with Egon, he had come to her aid.

For the best part of the day Egon worked upstairs with the guys in the main lab setting discussing the ghost and _why_ it attacked Drusilla. He had dropped her off to one of the beds inside the firehouse ignoring the inquiring looks when he actually carried the sleeping woman from the ectomobile and all the way upstairs. The only one that hadn't said a word had been Winston and Ray. Peter never shut up when it came to the idea that Egon had a woman in his life at one time and seemed to care for her wellbeing more than his own.

He leaned against the doorway watching her sleep seeing her curl into an impossibly small ball before hearing laughter downstairs and realizing Oscar was back with Dana. Peter had told her what happened, Oscar had clearly liked Drusilla as well as Slimer. The youth had taken to playing with the ghost finding him less frightening than any of them had expected. He had personally expected some sort of residual effect from when they dealt with Vigor but had found that Oscar thankfully didn't have any signs of fear around ghosts.

Good for Dana since her husband worked around them on a daily basis. Hearing a clicking of heels Egon looked behind him seeing Dana instead of his first guess which would have been Janine. The secretary had taken a strange absence around them doing paperwork she had loathed instead of being around to listen to them and be bored. Dana on the other hand seemed to sense things which proved troubling in the idea she had come to check on their guest.

Egon had always liked her, he thought her a good influence on Peter and contrary to Peter's ideal he didn't have an aversion to the female sex. He just chose the idea that if you showed little interest it got more attention. He dated, it didn't mean that Peter had to know and he often didn't share how well they went. Some went fair; others got him stood up because the first didn't go to their liking. Mostly he just didn't find anyone smart enough to put up with him and actually give him half a reason to give them attention.

He needed interesting to make him wish to stick around and much to his regret he had learned that when he purposely drove interesting out of his life with the girl now surviving from her first ghostly encounter that wasn't _friendly_.

Dana brushed her shoulder length dark curls out of her face glancing in the soft blue room. The reflective checkered floor giving the girl in there a strange glow due to the moon lighting the room, she scanned the figure before glancing up at Egon.

Looking over his glasses he shrugged looking back to study Drusilla. Dana smiled crossing her arms and lounging against the doorway mirroring his position. Pulling up the sleeves of her green flannel shirt she listened expecting to hear her son's laughter before groaning hearing Peter obviously teasing him instead of Slimer.

"Um that may be a bad sign." Egon offered watching her look behind her and then back at him.

"It's been bad since I married him," She smiled hearing Oscar's cheerful laughter and already knew she had made a good decision despite Peter's often childish side. "How do you know Drusilla?"

"School." Egon figured short answers would give his hint across.

"Fascinating," Dana rolled her eyes seeing he was avoiding the subject.

"Not really," Egon smirked knowing she wouldn't pester him unlike Peter who refused to quit.

"I do believe that you care much more deeply for her than you show." He groaned giving her a look and then turning to go back to his lab work. "She likes you, that says things on levels that confounds Peter Venkman…you knew I would ask."

Egon waved her off going back to work wise to the fact that living around certain people would eventually get him found out.


	4. Energizer Ghost

**_Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange mind_**

A/N: New chapters up, more coming. Happy New Year! Thanks for reading I appreciate it. :)_  
_

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**Chapter 4: Energizer Ghost  
**

She woke groggily glancing around the rooms he was in aware that it wasn't her destroyed hotel room and vaguely remembered riding in the ectomobile back to the firehouse would have to be the destination she found herself at. She guessed the sleeping quarters and had a feeling she knew who put her there.

She jerked sharply aware of movement off to her side worried over repetition of what happened to her before. She instead saw Slimer come into the gloomy light cast by the windows in front of her before seeing him offer her a too wide grin for her liking, but she smiled instead.

"I'm at HQ aren't I?" Slimer not quite sure what she meant looked confused for a minute before it seemed to register; he nodded then looking proud of himself. "Where's Egon?" she asked softly seeing his yellow eyes lower before he pointed down and she gathered he had gone either to the basement or downstairs.

Egon had been going over the ghost in her room for hours. He had even put aside his research in hopes of something hitting him and found himself downstairs listening to the others bounce ideas around. Louis had come by with the necessary papers to keep them out of lawsuit central while Janine answered each of their calls effortlessly and as dryly as possible.

Despite the woman upstairs life was normal at Ghostbusters Inc.

Dana had gone home to put Oscar to bed with instructions for Peter to do all he could to save that girl upstairs. Egon had admired her for the orders but found himself only bombarded with more questions he didn't need or want to answer. With the exception of Ray he would have rather not spoken about the woman to anyone.

Drusilla had an uncanny knack of bypassing his safety measures that women could lead to some entertainment but back then he wasn't ready for the truth. She had wanted a commitment and mistakenly took his interest to heart, now he had grown from the young reckless scientist to a bigger one but felt the strange need to apologize becoming overwhelming since her arrival. He deduced that he felt lonely and that she was different than most women. (She already knew everything bad about him.)

Glancing down the opening to the floor below she made out all three men talking around bouncing off ideas and could guess that Peter's family had left. Winston suggested they go upstairs to finish their conversation before she noted Egon had gone silent. Hearing Peter not so subtly get his attention she smiled seeing him jerk startled by how he got the attention.

"Egon she's dressed so we need to solve her apartment issues first." Peter implied more to their relationship than her longtime friend clearly had admitted.

Egon flushing slightly glared at him before turning sharply and starting for the stairs. She saw the others follow however Ray seemed to be pointedly indicating Peter was very out of line to suggest more than they had witnessed the other whom she had yet to meet seemed fairly certain he didn't care.

Slimer moved swiftly in front of Egon before seeing him spare him a look before he turned glancing at the fire poles and caught sight of a familiar figure vanishing from sight. He told the guys to go off to the lounge area while he checked in on their guest. Ignoring Peter's pointed comments and looks Egon turned to the left of the stairs and moved into the sleeping room. He saw the bed vacated and slowly glanced around seeing her leaning against the window staring out at the city life. She half turned giving him a sidelong look before a slow smile lit up her eyes.

"Thanks," She managed despite all problems she had with him at least he cared enough to spare her some embarrassments.

"Not yet," Egon said before glancing over his shoulder. "You still have a very real ghost issue and I don't think it stops at the hotel where you stayed." He had wished not to tell her their latest theory and knew it would be another thing for her to hold against him, but he wasn't leaving her unaware either.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that ghost followed you and clung to you. You must have somehow picked up an PKE or something. The meter's spiked around you when I first brought you up here."

"I have a ghost tracking me?" She asked sounding mildly upset.

"No," He hesitated wondering how much effort it would take to avoid violence. "You must have picked up energy from somewhere and it homed in on you. Now it seems to stay with you."

"I got it _here_ didn't I?" he frowned not wishing to bring any speculations into the mix.

"I don't know." Egon admitted aware of Slimer once again appearing in the room and glancing between them looking strangely appeased by her presence. "Ghosts like you…at least Slimer does." She noticed his presence off to her side and instead of being upset by the idea she found it strangely calming.

"I like ghosts…the ones not out to get me." She stated darkly before crossing her arms, familiar with the idea she was indeed upset he flinched worried he would be on the end of her wrath. "Do you need to do tests?"

"Brain scans, meter readings and the basics to make sure there's no sign of possession." Egon said finding himself fidgeting and settling for the idea of crossing his own arms.

"Now?" He nodded though in most cases he would have rather done it sooner but her sleeping seemed more important.

Three hours later she found herself in a room that would have been considered a living space if it wasn't for the surrounding experiment tubes, shelves full of odds and ends and warnings from the guys to be wise to what she ate, drank and or smelled. It couldn't have been healthy for them to live in this sort of environment but then again _they_ were the scientists and responsible for half of what was within the large top floor.

She moved from the chair of hookups where she had spent most of her time and settled on the edge of their pool table. Her eyes moved around the white walls and mismatched furniture before seeing Egon move quickly to the back of the room where it looked like a lab had been situated. She heard something about how her body energy reacted to particles and the surrounding environmental energies like one would assume a battery reacts when being charged. She knew better than to ask Egon to explain, she would get an answer that made her brain hurt and her thought process even more screwed up than it already was.

She was comforted by the fact that Winston seemed as in the dark as she was and found his dark gaze looking at those in the room with equal annoyance and confusion. It wasn't the being left out so much as it was her head they had been sifting around in and she was the clear point of discussion at the moment. She found herself uncertain of the idea that Egon actually cared for her instead of what scientific information she brought into the study.

It bothered her to know that it most likely meant science still ruled his life. He cared for people but sometimes forgot the fact that he wouldn't take part in their lives. He was an outside influence learning of them and how they worked. He never put himself into that category of being human and never saw himself as an outside influence into the environment.

It seemed that Egon felt what was going on to her was indeed worrisome. Ray had taken notice to him going over the readings and looking grim with each new readout and test that they went over. It seemed logical that even if the past wasn't a good thing that he still had some thoughts on her wellbeing and what was in fact happening to her. It meant maybe Egon liked Drusilla and he actually was acting in his environment or lack of one.

Ray tapped Egon on the shoulder seeing Peter had stopped with the questions bored with lack of answers and had chosen to instead go through Egon's notes. This usually provoked reactions and it had yet to do so, it proved his theory that Drusilla meant more to Egon than just some _friend_. It was difficult to decide if there was more involvement in the future between them because of the clear wall of distrust and tension that had been around the two since he met the woman.

Finally feeling put aside long enough Drusilla made herself known by standing off to the side of Egon and pointedly clearing her throat. A trick Egon had used often enough but somehow it seemed more threatening coming from her, in proving the point he looked up from the workup sheet between him and Ray and found himself lowering his gaze back down to the paperwork.

"Egon!" He flinched aware of her warning tone and sighed.

"It seems there are other reasons ghosts like you Dru." Ray moved over to the microscope to do more tests and observe the ectoplasm readings on the strands of hair she had given them. "You attract them due to your natural energies."

"What?"

"You are a walking charger that brings entities that have been driven into hiding out into the open. Kind of like pollination." Ray intervened seeing Egon giving him a look that said 'that wasn't helpful.

"I'm a walking ghost charger?" She questioned feeling strangely stupid which was new for her; usually she could follow Egon's over the top thinking. "They virtually disappear from the place they haunt and because I am present they come oozing out of the walls?"

"They're more like parasites Dru," Egon looked over seeing Winston and Peter didn't looked convinced by this method any more than he felt comfortable with it. "The good energies you give off send out a positive charge gaining attention of ghosts like Slimer but when you're upset or something they find the negative ones."

"So because I got pissed off at you I drag out a ghost from hell?" she asks softly, too softly for his liking which makes him squint suspiciously up at her. "Egon! This isn't what I had in mind when I chose to come help you!"

"I recall leaving without asking…again." He added returning to the paperwork on the desk and going over the readings Ray's recent test had shown.

A sharp crash alerts them to Janine yelling in frustration below before all of them go to look down the hole where the poles reach the ground floor. All eyes widen in stunned shock seeing Slimer rampaging throwing around folders, tipping over filing boxes and ransacking their headquarters. Peter and Winston drop down the pole to calm the strange change in personality of their familiar ghost friend while Ray and Egon both look at Drusilla in shock.

Ray moves quickly to their untested ghost calming device which had been originally intended for the slime that was activated by human emotional changes and vanished leaving Egon to calm the red faced Drusilla who had yet to calm down. In fact she was muttering under her breath wondering to herself what had gotten her back into a mess of this context and then remembered she went to _Egon's_ aid against her best judgment.

It would seem she had no judgment when it came to Egon Spengler, it also was pretty clear that he never felt the way she had and that this was a waste of her time. Now she had to worry about waking ghosts up and having the wreck her life or destroy her place of work. The list of problems this discovery brought with it never would end and she realized that it had been her fault for even coming to Ghostbusters HQ. If she had stayed home this wouldn't have happened, if she never met Egon she would have been safer and wiser for the trouble she would have missed out on.

"I should have stayed home!" She finished her rant just now becoming away that Egon had been the only one _not_ dealing with Slimer's new symptoms to rampage the downstairs.

"You need to calm down Dru, you're the reason Slimer's going crazy." He tried sternly seeing it had no effect and only got him one of her dark glares. "Please?" he tried finding himself disliking the idea that being desperate was beneath him.

"Why? Because he's destroying your-" Egon reached out pulling her close not really sure of what he was doing, it worked when women needed someone to cry on and he also couldn't believe he was relying on advice from Peter Venkman.

Stunned by the arms wrapping around her and pulling her close Drusilla shut up realizing Egon was holding her. It had been the first time in a long time and hadn't felt much different than the first time. She closed her eyes ignoring the familiar aspects of chemicals around the room and found the faintest scent of cologne he had worn when she knew him. He smelled good and it was a comforting sort of aspect to realize that this tall skinny man still had the courage to get into her personal space despite her temper.

There was no method to holding Drusilla it just happened and much to his concern it felt alright. He didn't mind their time together and had begun to realize there was a certain amount of comfort between them. That had been part of his reason for leaving; comfort wasn't alright in the aspect of science because he had to reach out in a zone that defied all comfort levels. Drusilla rested on his shoulder beginning to relax and actually to his astonishment snuggled into him. He held her closer by reflex hearing the commotion downstairs begin to settle while Winston stopped Ray from making Slimer their test subject for the device that only seemed to cause the emotional reactive slime to react by blowing itself up and reforming. (He wasn't sure that would work with Slimer.)

Several moments of silence went by before she slowly blinked realizing who was holding her and found herself gently pushing back aware of Egon's arms dropping quickly, far too quickly to deny that he didn't have a soft spot for her somewhere underneath the ego driven scientist.

"He's calm!" both looked to the hole hearing Peter's confirmation that the rampaging ghost had stopped tearing up their HQ.

Slowly Drusilla pushed her hair over her shoulders and looked down at the floor. Her face burning before she slowly walked to the edge of the hole and squatted down. She saw that the downstairs looked as though hurricanes had hit it at random. Papers, files and furniture where everywhere and Slimer was in the center of it all looking terrified, odd for a ghost in her opinion but none the less she felt it was her fault he had ransacked the place.

She reached out to the pole finding hands stopping her by catching her waist and pulling her back from the exit she was attempting. Egon directed her attention to the fact that Slimer had wild eyes and wasn't quite safe to approach yet. Nodding she moved from his attempt on her safety and took the safe way down.


End file.
